Leverstock Green came away empty-handed from their visit to title favourites Biggleswade F.C., but it was a highly creditable performance against top opposition from Matt Harding’s young side and should provide plenty of positives for some important upcoming games.

There were two more new faces in the Green side today, with Matt Cooper joining on loan from Northwood, plus ex-pro Ben Pattie, who played in a Leverstock under-18 side seven years ago before a career that has taken in QPR plus a number of higher-level non-league clubs.

After an early chance for the home side, there was a promising moment for Leverstock in the 4th minute when Reece Cameron beat a defender on a run into the penalty area, but his shot was saved at the near post. Green keeper Ryan Schmid then came to the rescue twice, coming off his line to tackle Abraham Eze after a back pass came up short in the 5th minute, and saving from Tom Cookman two minutes later after a through ball from Sam Kelly.

Pattie had an effort at goal in the 8th minute which was saved by home keeper Ross Tompkins with his chest, both keepers having to be careful in the blustery conditions. The nearest miss of the game so far came in the 13th minute when a rasping shot from Tom Coles was tipped over the bar by Schmid. There was a good move from the Green side in the 19th minute as Lewis Collins brought the ball forward and played it out wide to Toby Syme, and when Syme put his cross in, Collins was on the end of it to bring it down with his chest, but couldn’t get a shot in. However, Biggleswade finally made their breakthrough three minutes later as Kelly’s cross found Eze in front of goal to shoot home the opener.

There was little else in the way of chances for the remainder of the half until stoppage time when Schmid parried away a shot, and Eze’s effort from the rebound went over the bar.

Leverstock were still very much in the game as the second half started, but four minutes in Eze’s run into the box was ended by a foul from Luke Nugent, and the referee pointed straight to the penalty spot. Nathan George netted the spot kick to put his side into a 2-0 lead.

The lead was never threatened by a Leverstock side that couldn’t get much going in the opposition half, but stood firm to prevent the home side from having many more chances. The nearest they came to adding a third was in the 59th minute when Coles headed a corner just over the bar. Five minutes from time there was a glimmer of hope as Matt Cooper swung in a dangerous free kick towards the far post, but nobody could get on the end of it. In the last minute Schmid produced another excellent save to deny Michael Carrol from close range, and 2-0 was the final score.

Leverstock are still in need of more points to avoid being dragged into a relegation dogfight, and will hope to get something out of next Saturday’s home game against Baldock Town.